Flush tank drip catch



O 1951 N. A. RUBNER FLUSH TANK DRIP CATCH Filed April 24, 1948 INVENTOR. I

Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH TANK DRIP CATCH Norbert A. Rubner, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application April 24, 1948, Serial No. 22,970

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to improvements in the construction and operation of drip catch pans for toilet flush tanks, and the primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved flush tank dripcatch which is simple and durable in construction and highly efiective in normal use.

As shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,785,877, granted December 23, 1930, I have heretofore proposed the use of a drip catch for toilet flush tanks, comprising a horizontal elongated U-shaped trough-like metal body or pan adapted to be supported from an adjacent wall beneath the lower edges of the flush tank and having a drainage tube communicating with the interior of the toilet bowl. It has also been previously proposed to utilize a support for such a pan adapted to be fastened to the tank outlet pipe, and with which the metal pan was detachably cooperable; and while both of these prior devices have gone into quite extensive commercial use,

they would become rather unsightly after long periods of utilization due to rusting of metal and chipping of enamel or other coatings therefrom, and they were also diflicult to install and to remove and reapply for cleaning purposes, thus making them relatively unpopular.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved flush tank drip catching accessory, which will remain attractive and most efiective for an indefinite period of time, and wherein the support may be readily installed while the pan may be conveniently removed and reapplied for inspection and cleaning purposes.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide an improved drip catch assemblage for toilet flush tanks, wherein the pan and its support are formed of attractively colored plastic or other relatively resilient material adapted to resist breakage and indentation or permanent distortion.

A further specific object of my invention is to provide a light but strong drip catch unit, which may be manufactured and sold at moderate cost, and which is also adapted to be applied to standard flush tanks with ease by a novice.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive drip catching fixture for toilet bowls or the like, which will enhance the appearance of the toilet installation while efiectively protecting the room floor from annoying drippings.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the present improvement will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the features constituting my present improvement, and of the construction,

to the tank outlet pipe shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged transverse section through the pan and support assembly, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a likewise enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through the pan and the support by a screw bolt 20 and a square nut 2| engaging clamping ring, the section having been taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

While the invention has been shown as having been applied to a typical drip catch for standard toilet installations having a flush tank secured to a wall and located closely adjacent to the rear of the bowl, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarlly limit the utility of the improvements by virtue of this restricted embodiment; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms used herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing, the typical toilet installation shown therein comprises in general, a porcelain bowl 6 having an upper opening I normally closed by a seat 8 and a cover 9, and a flush tank If! suspended from a wall H rear: wardly of the bowl 6 and communicating with the interior of the latter through a relatively sturdy outlet; pipe l2. The tank If! is ordinarily provided with the usual internal flush valve mechanism and with an external actuating means located at one side of the pipe l2, but these parts have not been illustrated as they are old and well known.

lindrical pipe l2, while its upper portion is provided with a rearwardly directed shelf l5 having vertically spaced and staggered upper and lower projections I6, I! respectively at its opposite sides forming parallel grooves l8 extending along the shelf I5; a resilient metal clamping ring it! snugly embracing the front of the pipe i2 and the rear of theapron l 5 of the support M and normally being clamped to these parts opening 28 therein at the lowest portionof a series of drainage troughs 29 formed in the pan 25; and a drain pipe 3| connecting-the.panopening 28 with the interior of.the toilet .bowl :6 through the bowl opening I.

The support l4 and pan 25 are preferably.

formed of durable butjresilient plastic of any desired: color so as. .to produce highly-attractive andreadily cleanable elements swhich'will resist breakage .and indentation due :to i-mpact, and .while this-materialis relatively lightit does possess great strength. The resilient clamping ring I9 is preferably formed of non-corrosive metal or'may lie-plated to avoid.rusting,.;and the integral -flange- 23 of thisri-ng may. be-rprovided-.-w.ith an elf-set end; 32 'as' shown; inorder to prevent the nut 2| from rotating-while the screw bolt 20- is being applied thereto, :see7Figs. 2.-.and 3. .The drainage troughs'29. of thepan 25 should bewdistributed throughout the major :area of:the'-horizontal pan as indicatedvinl ligs. 2;:and 4,:and converge toward the central -.opening'-28; and the drain pipe 3| may be-formed' of easily distortablenon-corrosive metal or other suitable materiaL-and may be'fastened to'the-pan'zfi at the opening 2.8:with the aid of a press-fitted ferrule or spud 33 as illustrated 'inFigxfl. elongated pan 25 may furthermore be provided with a rearout-out 34 as revealed in Fig. '2, in order not to interfere with the flush tanksupply pipe, and the parallel rails 21 should have a rather snug but freesliding fit with the'support recesses [8.

When the several parts of the. improved drip catch unit have been properly constructed as hereinabove described, they maybe assembled and utilized as follows. The bracket or support l4 sho d fi st b appliedand securely attached tothe rear of the tank outlet pipe 12 directly beneath the pipe attaching nut 35, with. the. aid of' the clamping ring 19, screw bolt 2c, and nut 2.l,. y utilizin an ordinary screw .driver, .asinic tedin .ss-..2,..3 and 4- T panlfi y thereafter be firmly. applied vto the fixed support 14, by merely sliding the parallel rails 21 of the drip catch receptacle rearwardly along the grooves 18 formed by. the staggered projections 115,11 ,of the bracket, untilthe pan ridge. .orlr im 30 is properly positioned relative to thevlower drip edge of thetank l8, whereupon the drain pipe ,3l may ,be. finally applied-as depicted in Figs. 1,2 zancl 3. Any condensate liquid which-thereafterformsontheexteriorof the tank .will then. drip into the pan25 and will be conducted by the troughs 29 toward the opening 28 from whencetheliquid will be conducted by the pipe 3| .to the. toilet bowl 6 in an obviousmanner. In orderto subsequently remove the pan .25 for in spection or cleaning, it is only necessary to withdraw .the lower end of the drain pipe e: from within the. bowl 6, and to. pull the pan forwardly until the rails 21 leave the grooves l8, and the Dan..2.5 may thus be quicklyand conveniently remottled4 or reapplied without --d-isturbing the 61 F- por From the foregoing detailed description of a typical embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that I have in fact provided a simple, durable and highly attractive and effective drip catch unit for toilet flush tanks 6 or the like, "which may be'readily installed and wherein the pan 25 may be conveniently removed and reapplied to a rigid support. The use of plastic in the formation of the support l4 and pan 25, .not only introduces great strength and lightness, but also permits the use of very attractive :colorszeand:su-rfaces which may be easily cleaned. .The improved formation of the cooperating pan side rails 27 and support grooves 18 facilitates assembly and dismantling of the unit in relatively inaccessible places, and Zthe improved devices may be installed by a novice with ondinaryavailable tools such as a screwdriver. The. improved flush tank dripcatch assemblies may be manufactured in diverse sizesat moderate-cost for. various ,uses, and have proven highly satisfactoryand successful in'actualuse in connection withdifferent types of toilet installations.

It should beunderstood that itis not. desired to limit this invention to the exact details :0f;GOI1- struction or to the precise mode of utilizinglthe drip catchunits herein specifically showniand described, for various modifications within the scope-of the. appended claimmay, occur -to...persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

In a pan support cooperable with acylindrical upright mounting member, a rigid horizontal pan having a rearwardly open-central recess-bounded by an integral-upstanding Hi-shaped wall the upper edge of which is providedwwith-an integral inwardly directed continuous t-flange forming; parallel rearwardly extending railsu-conneoted by-a front semi-circular flange portion having greater radius than-that of the cylindrical mounting member, a unitary supporting element having-a rigid semi-circular integral apron disposed-entirely beneath the pan andsnugly -c00pera'ble with the rear of the upright-cylindrical mounting member and also having an .integrahrearwardly extending rigid shelf at its upperextrem ity provided with rigid vertically spaced parallel periodically interrupted outwardly open grooves projecting rearwardly away from said; apron and adapted to loosely .slidably receive rsaid: parallel :pan rails, and a clamping collar snugly directly engaging saidapron and the adjacent frontthalfnof'said cylindrical mounting member and being-manipulable from the rear beneath-said pan, said-pan being freely forwardly removable from said element -without disturbing said clamping-"collaror thesupportingelement.

NORBERT A. RUBNER.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are 'of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 80,210 Perham July 21,1868 88,420 Sherwood .Mar. 30,;1869

115,923 Wright 'June 13, .1871

312,159 Perkins .Feb. .10, 1885 1,785,877 Rubner Dec. 23, 1930 1,863,211 Wimmer June 14, .1932 2,180,902 'I-Ierodeset al. Nov. 21,1939 2,211,226 Bautz Aug.i1'3,1'1940 2,449,445. Bodan Sept. 1=4,"l9.48 

